


At the Waterfall

by IzabellaRiddle



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzabellaRiddle/pseuds/IzabellaRiddle
Summary: "When I met him I knew exactly who he was. Ecbert introduced him as Alfred, his grandson, but I knew as I saw his eyes."Ragnar has died and meets his dear friend at their waterfall. He tells him of his life since they parted and why he can't return his cross to him.
Relationships: Athelstan/Ragnar Lothbrok
Comments: 5
Kudos: 88





	At the Waterfall

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first story for the Vikings fandom. I just recently watched it. Athelstan is by far my favorite character and after seeing more of his son in Season 5 this began banging around in my head so I had to write it out. Please read and review if you will.

Ragnar felt the bites of the snakes like fire, their venom spreading through his veins like liquid death. His vision began to dim and he heard the sound of thunder crashing around him, Ragnar laughed for Odin had come for him in the end. The scents around him changed, from the dank smell of the pit around him, to a prevailing scent of trees and fresh wet ground.

His sight came back to him bit by bit, first Ragnar found the bright blue sky reminding him so much of the sky above Kattegat. Then the tree canopies came swimming into view around him. He heard it once more the pounding thunder of Thor and he wondered why he had not appeared in the fabled hall of the All-Father. 

No longer could he feel the pain that had been so much of his life since the battle at the walls of Paris when he fell from the walls. For so many years his body had felt what his heart had already known. The end had started the day he found Athelstan dead upon the floor of his room. 

Ragnar sat up and looked around realizing around him was an empty clearing. In the distance he could still hear the thundering roar and he wondered where he had woken. He stood and began walking toward the sound wondering where it would lead him in the end. 

He found the roar after walking who knows how far, it seemed to take forever but could have been only minutes. Now he knew where he was, the waterfall above Kattegat where he had cared Athelstan to bury him closer to his god. 

Ragnar looked around and found to his surprise that his friend was seated beneath the waterfall, right above the place where he had buried his truest friend. He had not been able to come to this place in years, not to this place that Ragnar thought of as Athelstan’s waterfall. It had been so many years since he had seen him. 

Athlestan wore the tunic he had been buried in, a dark blue fabric that echoed the color of the man's eyes. Ragnar sat down beside his friend, both of them facing the waterfall. Athlestan couldn’t help but smile at seeing his friend again and received a toothy smile in return 

“What are we doing here, my friend?” Ragnar asked, wondering why they would both be here. He had hoped to see Athelstan again in the halls of Valhalla or perhaps if his friends God had seen fit in the place called Heaven. 

“It seems we were both wrong my friend, there are many different heavens or afterlives. Each Deity does it a little differently, some have places where whole families share spaces as loved ones, or comrades fighting together in battle for eternity. Others still have singular spaces for those who wish to spend their eternal slumber in contemplation. You can travel between them for the most part to a degree. I have seen many of our friends since I came here. Lief, King Horik, Gyda and Torstein.”

Ragnar smiled and bumped Athelstan's shoulder, “I am glad to see you once again. I have thought of you much over the years since our last meeting.”

“Sometimes up here you can see through to the living world, sometimes you can see people in the clouds or the still waters at the edge of the waterfall. I watched over you when I could...but tell me anyways what adventures did you have?”

“We went to Paris with a massive force, Lagertha, Bjorn, Rollo and I. It took us many months to breach the city but finally as the seer once told me we made it. Bjorn helped me fake my death, because as the Seer said that Paris would be conquered not by the living, but by the dead. It was a great battle, many lives were lost. Rollo betrayed me for the final time there, he married a Princess of Paris. He became ruler of his own kingdom in Francia.”

“I’m sorry Ragnar about Rollo, but perhaps it was the best thing for him to have his own place and people. You got to see Paris. I'm glad...I only wish that I could have been there with you.”

“I wish you had been there too, I was so mad at Floki, I still am for what he did. He killed your Athelstan and then professed to be my friend. I left for ten years after we returned from Paris, I could not stand to be there without you any longer. I travelled over land and sea through many countries. Always you were with me in a way and then I went back to Kattegat to Asluag and my boys. I asked them all if they would raid England with me once more. Revenge for the destruction of the settlement at Wessex.” Ragnar told him sadly

“And did you all go…King Ragnar Lothbrok and his many prophesied sons.”

Ragnar couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's words, “No...Bjorn decided to sail to the Mediterrainian Sea and took Hvitserk with him. Ubbe decided along with Siggard that they would stay with their mother and protect Kattigat. Ivar wa the only one to go with me”

“Ivar...he was but a young child the last time I saw him. How old was he when you went?”

“All of 15 and so headstrong like me. We sailed to England, but there was a storm where we lost most of our ships. That was okay though I didn’t really go there to raid. I went to speak with King Ecbert once more.”

“What did you speak with the King about”

“Many things. He was mad, you know, that you came with me back to Kattegat instead of staying with him. Ecbert was so angry with me that I hadn’t protected you, that you have been killed. If you had stayed in Wessex all those years ago Floki wouldn’t have been able to kill you and take you away from me. Above all I went back to England seeing my death.”

“Why would you seek your death,” the brunette asked quietly, reaching out and laying his hand on his friends shoulder. Ragnar smiled when Athelstan's sleeve slid back and he caught the glint of the braided cuff around Athelstan’s wrist.

“You still have your cuff? I’m glad you would still wear it, I wore your cross until a few short days ago. Your cross was my companion for many years...my comfort after you were taken. In the end I gave it to someone very special. I know that he will do many great things over the years of his life.”

“How could I not keep it. You gave it to me my friend. I foolishly threw it away once, I would never do so again. Did you give my cross to Ivar, you said he went with you or did you give it to Ecbert perhaps?”

“No Ivar was sent home on a boat as a favor to me before I was given over to King Aella. Before Ecbert sent me off I got to meet someone very dear to both you and I,” Ragnar paused not sure how to continue. 

Athelstan sat there under the waterfall just watching his friend. The man who had captured him and stole him away from his life at the monastery. This farmer who had become Earl and then a King of his people. Ragnar, the man who had defended him, protected him, and allowed Athelstan into his family. The man who had loved him and been loved in return. 

“It was a cold day...I was taken out into the courtyard of King Ecbert’s Villa. He stood there with Princess Judith and a young man. I had met him the day before in the King’s throne room. When I met him I knew exactly who he was. Ecbert introduced him as Alfred, his grandson, but I knew as I saw his eyes. They were not Prince Aethelwulf’s eyes staring back at me but your eyes my dear friend.”

“A son…” Athelstan couldn’t believe it. That he would have children had never crossed his mind. That he should die without ever meeting them made it even worse. At least his friend had met him. 

“He is so like you in looks and I believe in spirit as well. He was polite to both myself and to Ivar who I’m told he met. I was going to my death and so I gave him your cross. It had been my comfort for many years and I knew that he should have it. I hoped that my love for you would continue for as long as your son continued to wear it”

Athelstan smiled “Thank you. Perhaps one day years from now our sons will all come to be with us here and we can celebrate together.”

“Yes but I hope it is a great many years until we meet with them again. Until then we will keep each other company.”

And so they sat together beneath their waterfall telling stories and talking about the glimpses of lives they saw through the veil. The two men, a Viking King and his Priest sharing their love and friendship until their family joined them.


End file.
